Dhanbad councillors vent strike ire on A2Z

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Dhanbad’s much-touted solid waste management project under JNNURM is facing hiccups even before it could take off.

Barely two months after A2Z Waste Management Private Ltd chose three wards — Nos. 20, 24 and 30 — for starting the pilot project, the councillors, fed up with the ongoing strike by sanitation workers over pay since November 11, are demanding that the old system of cleaning by Dhanbad Municipal Corporation staff be revoked in their wards. They also threatened to take the protest path if their concerns were not addressed immediately.

“We are caught in a devil and deep blue sea situation. We were elated when our wards were selected by A2Z for the sanitation project. But thanks to the strike, we are neither getting the services of A2Z nor corporation staff,” said councillor of ward No. 24 Ashok Pal.

Assistant manager of A2Z Abhishek Vaidya claimed that all disputes had been resolved a day before Chhath. “Chhath being a holiday, work will resume from Thursday (November 22),” he promised.